Understanding By Design

Teacher: Mrs. Kaitlin Sharp

Subject Area/Grade Level: English/12th grade
Lesson Title: Analyzing Key Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in Macbeth
Time: 90 minutes
Materials/Equipment Required:

Class set of Macbeth with audio recording

KWL handout for each student
Students will need paper and pencil to take notes and record answers in Independent
Practice

Stage 1Desired Results

Content Standards:
110.34. (b) (2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical,
and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
Students are expected to: (C) relate the characters, setting, and theme of a literary work to the
historical, social, and economic ideas of its time.
110.34. (b) (4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate how the
structure and elements of drama change in the works of British dramatists across literary
periods.
Understandings/Goals:
Essential Questions:
Shakespeares portal of men is still
How can ambition motivate people and
accurate: Understanding what motivates
how can it be both a positive and negative
the characters can help us understand
trait?
others and what motivates them
When do you feel guilt and when do you
Understanding themes, motifs, and
experience remorse?
symbols develops abilities to understand
To what extent does power affect a
abstract ideas and complex concepts
persons actions?
Student Objectives:
Students will summarize the events of Act 2 with partners in 5 bullet points.
Students will draw a storyboard depicting a theme, motif, or symbol within one scene from
Act 2 of Macbeth with 100% accuracy, citing the lines used for their scene.
Given the opportunity to discuss in small groups, the students will evaluate the relationship
between power, ambition, and consequences. Each student in the group will list at least one
theme, symbol, or motif that supports their evaluation of the relationship(s).

Stage 2Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:
Other Evidence:
Guided Practice: Students illustrate an
Oral response in small groups to one of the
abstract concept from Act 2 on a piece of
Essential Questions
paper with colored pencils
Drawing showing events in Act 2
Independent Practice: Students discuss
Teacher observation and questioning to
personal understanding and write down
check for understanding
individual conclusions
Assessment Questions:
o Please explain which abstract
concept you illustrated.
o How does your illustration identify
the concept?
o What is the importance of the
theme, motif, or symbol in the
individual scene? Within Act 2 as a
whole?
Stage 3Learning Plan
Previous Knowledge: Students have already read and discussed Act 1 and started reading Act 2
Students already know definition of theme, motif, and symbol from vocabulary introduced at
beginning of unit
Learning Activities:
Anticipatory Set: Students will fill out a KWL (Know, Want to know, Learn) handout as a way
to review what they read and discussed from Act 1 while deciding what they want to know
or predict will happen in Act 2
Instruction: Students will finish listening to Act 2 on tape. It is important that student hear
the play in order to better understand it because plays are designed to be seen acted out
and heard on stage.
o Teacher will pause the audio at the end of each act and when students nonverbal
body language and facial expressions indicate confusion in order to ask questions
Will someone state what just happened?
How would you describe the characters state of mind right now?
Try to explain the importance of this scene.
Identify any themes, motifs, or symbols start appearing so far in Act 2.
Predict what will happen in the next scene.
What is the purpose of the scene with the porter?
Compare and contrast the actions of Macbeth and Banquo.
Compare and contrast the responses of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the
crime.
How does motivation and ambition influence each characters actions?
What is the difference between guilt and remorse?
o At the end of the reading of Act 2, students will get in pairs and summarize the
events of Act 2. They will have to create 5 bullet points to summarize the act.
Students should also list the themes, motifs, and symbols based on questions and

answers between the teacher and students during the reading.

Guided Practice: Students will be given a blank piece of paper to illustrate an abstract
concept from Act 2 with colored pencils. Students will draw a storyboard depicting a theme,
motif, or symbol within one scene from Act 2 of Macbeth with 100% accuracy, citing the
lines used for their scene.
o Teacher will walk around room asking assessment questions to make sure students
are on track and offer redirection when needed.
Independent Practice: The teacher will ask the whole class the essential questions and then
instruct students to get into groups of 4-5 to discuss the essential questions. Each student
will then write down their individual answers to the questions.
Closing: To close the lesson students will spend 2-3 minutes filling out the Learn section of
the KWL handout that was distributed as part of the anticipation set. Then 3-5 students may
share their answers from what they wrote down in the individual practice. In conclusion,
the teacher will repeat the understanding goals.
Extending the Lesson:
o Gifted and Talented Students: One activity they could do is creating an online
resource about Macbeth to help build their understanding and teach their peers.
Here is an example: http://kss-mswhite.weebly.com/macbeth.html.
o English Language Learners: I would find a version of Macbeth translated to the
students first language and culture because Shakespeare is challenging for native
English speakers. Students would need to understand the basis of the play in order
to better understand the language of the play.
Additional Resources:
o Printable handout- Colorful Character Connections offer an at-a-glance map of
character relationships, an introduction to the plot, and important quotes to look
and listen for. Good for studying, or quick reference.
http://www.folger.edu/documents/Macbeth%20Characters%20NEW1.pdf
o This website provides an Overview and detailed summary of Macbeth by PhD
students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley. It fits the needs of GT students by
providing more in depth analysis at a college level, so it would be more engaging for
them. http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/
Consulted Teacher Resources in creating this lesson:
o http://www.webenglishteacher.com/macbeth.html

Name:___________________
Class:____________________
Date:____________________

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